Labour press on with ‘war on rural England’ as councillors face being stripped of powers to block planning schemes under plans to push through developments_Nhy
Labour’s war on rural England looks set to continue under new plans which would see councillors losing the power to block all but the largest building developments in the hopes of instigating a house build boom.
Government ministers will next week unveil the policy which will all but eviscerate local council’s ability to interfere with a majority of applications.
Despite the plans receiving the backing of some experts who believe that they will prove to be the necessary shot in the arm required to overcome political delays in building developments, numerous councils have cautioned against the policy’s implementation.
Councils have argued that the proposed changes would erode any remaining trust in local democracy by removing residents ability to object to controversial schemes from the ballot box.
The new scheme, which is set to be unveiled by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner next week, aims to liberalise building regulations and provide 1.5 million homes before the next general election while also hoping to boost overall economic growth.
Previously, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has attacked current planning policy by labelling it ‘ruinous’ and promising to bring to a stop the people who have held Britain ‘to ransom’.
At present, local councils make their own decisions via committees as to what development applications to allow or rebuff in their constituencies.
However, last year saw ministers signal their intent to overhaul these planning committees to streamline building and development.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has attacked current planning policy by labelling it ‘ruinous’
Labour, under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner, claim they are seeking to ‘modernise’ planning with their controversial new plans
Angela Rayner is set to take those original reforms one step further though by eliminating council’s ability to reject all but the largest schemes which most obviously contradict local planning rules.
The finer points of the proposed changes are yet to be confirmed, but The Times report that the threshold for when councils will be unable to interfere in style or layout will range from between 10 to 100 house developments.
Minimum size thresholds are also set to be introduced for intervening in commercial developments.
Speaking to The Times, a government source said that reforms are aimed at ‘modernising’ how planning committees work and making sure that smaller to medium scale developments don’t get bogged down in ‘niche technical details’.
Whilst these changes won’t impact some councils where few if any planning applications make it to committees, others see up to a third of development decisions made by councillors.
Matthew Spry, of the planning consultancy Lichfields, said that the change ‘could make a real difference’ and mean more and quicker approvals.
However, he caveated this by noting that the government’s definition of a ‘major’ development would be crucial given that ten houses in an urban setting might seem like a drop in the ocean, but in rural communities it can be a very big deal.
Previously, developers have criticised planning regulations for being cumbersome and unpredictable. But many such as Zack Simons KC argue that the new scheme will remove the guess work and allow developers to have clarity on applications.
It is hoped that new scheme will pave the way to 1.5 million homes being built by the next general election
Angela Rayner is set to take Labour’s original reforms one step further though by eliminating council’s ability to reject all but the largest schemes
Despite these supposed benefits, the Local Government Authority has already written to ministers expressing its concern.
‘This democratic role of councillors in decision-making is the backbone of the English planning system and our reservations about a national scheme of delegation centre on this role potentially being eroded,” it warned.
‘Many councillors stand for election on the basis of the role they could play in positively supporting the growth or protection of the environment and community in which they stand.
‘Potentially removing the ability for councillors to discuss, debate or vote on key developments in their localities could erode public trust in the planning system and local government itself’.
